Pros Reveal the 7 Steps to Drywall Perfection!

Pros Reveal the 7 Steps to Drywall Perfection!

If you want to refurbish or renew a wall, selecting the correct drywall for the situation is the first step. Choosing the wrong drywall will not give a satisfactory result, and could lead to cracks, sagging walls, and mildew or mold in rooms such as your bathrooms and kitchen, where steam and water are inevitable. Use water-resistant drywall in kitchens and bathrooms; you will be able to distinguish which drywall is water-resistant because it is usually green or blue. Wall contractors recommend using fire-resistant drywall in garages.

The distance between the wall studs dictates what thickness of drywall is necessary. The wider the space between the studs the thicker the drywall necessary to make a smooth, secure wall surface. If possible, remove any existing wall covering. Lever off the baseboards and any other wall trims with a pry bar and put it aside. It may be possible to re-use it. Where there is paneling, lever it off with the pry bar. If the wall is currently plastered, wall contractors advise that it is easier to drywall over the existing wall rather than demolish it. Use joint compound to fill any depressions or cracks, and sand any high or proud points so that the surface is even and level. Use a stud finder to locate the wall studs and mark their locations on the floor and ceiling using painter's tape.

Use a measuring tape to measure the first piece of drywall, to ensure that it finishes in the center of a stud. Then measure it again to make absolutely certain. The rule, when doing any form of DIY, is always measure twice, cut once. Cut the drywall to fit, it might be easier to score it with a utility knife and then break the drywall down the scored line. Holding the drywall in place at the top of the starting corner and put at least five 2 inch drywall screws at equal intervals along each stud.

Then measure the next piece of drywall, which also must end on the center of a stud, cutting it to fit where necessary. Butt it up snugly against the previous piece and screw it to the stud as before. Fit the drywall across the top of the wall in a line or row and then begin a second row under the first. Drywall straight across doors and windows, but do remember to trace where they are on the drywall using a pencil. Measure the places of electrical sockets or outlets, cutting holes in the drywall sheets with a utility knife, before installing the drywall sheet.

Once all the drywall has been installed, cut along the pencil lines marking the doors and windows to remove the drywall. Wall contractors recommend cutting these smaller rather than larger, since it is easy, having cut out a smaller piece, to look through the hole to see exactly how much more needs to be cut. Having cut out the holes for the doors and windows, screw the drywall securely to the window and door frames. Perform an application of joint compound along all the drywall seams, flattening it with a wide putty knife. Then apply drywall tape over all the seams except for the exterior corners. Then flatten the tape, using the putty knife, also use the putty knife to push the tape well into the interior corners.

Using tin snips, cut corner beading to the height of the exterior corners, press the beading into the joint compound on these corners. Hammer in 1 inch nails at least every foot along the corner beading to hold it securely in place. Cover both the drywall tape and the edges of the corner beading with joint compound, flattening it with the putty knife, as before. Allow the joint compound to dry untouched overnight, sanding it flush with the drywall surface the following day.

Put baseboards and any other trims back using finishing nails. The drywall is then ready to prime, paint or wallpaper, as desired, to finish the room.